Jamsil 'Ballot Counting Center Blockade' Protest Enters Day 23 Amid Heatwave... Number of Protesters Dwindles in the Scorching Weather

Fewer Young Participants, Majority Now in Their 50s or Older
Real-Time Floating Population in Jamsil, Seoul: 12,000 to 14,000

As the heatwave continues, the number of participants in the blockade protests at ballot counting centers, condemning the June 3 local election ballot shortage incident, appears to be declining.

On the 23rd, participants in the blockade protest condemning the shortage of ballots were chanting slogans under umbrellas in front of the Handball Gymnasium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News.

According to Newsis on the 27th, around 11 a.m. that day, protestors gathered mainly around Gates 1 to 3 of the Handball Stadium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, chanting slogans such as "New Election Due to Election Fraud" and "Manual Counting of Same-Day Ballots."

Unlike the previous weekend, there were fewer young participants, with the protest led mostly by people in their 50s and older. Being a weekend, there were also many family groups with strollers present throughout the area.

As the temperature rose to 27 degrees Celsius under the blazing sun, participants gathered in the shade of trees, waving Korean and American flags, or joined the protest equipped with parasols, hats, arm sleeves, sun-protection masks, and other items. Some participants handed out ice water, and booths offering free ice cream were also set up, showing efforts to cope with the heat.

Behind the stadium, a tent marked "Rest Area" was installed, where participants spread out mats and portable chairs to rest, wiped sweat with handkerchiefs, and waved Korean and American flags together.

Now entering its fourth week, the overall scale of the protest has somewhat decreased. As most participants were concentrated in front of Gates 1 to 3, the stairs in front of Gates 1 and 2, which had previously been crowded with protestors, were relatively empty.

The police set up double lines for crowd control in front of Gates 1 to 3, where the largest number of protestors gathered, and stationed about ten officers to control access. The deployed officers wore hats, black masks, and sunglasses to minimize the exposure of their faces.

According to Seoul's real-time urban data, as of midnight that day, the floating population near Olympic Park was estimated to be between 12,000 and 14,000 people.

In the afternoon, the floating population in the area was expected to increase further as a concert by the group TWS was scheduled to be held at the nearby KSPO Dome.

According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to the office of Assemblyman Jeong Chun-saeng of the Innovation of the Homeland Party, there have been a total of 41 reports and complaints related to the protests at Jamsil Olympic Park as of the 22nd.

The police are continuing their investigation into various illegal activities that occurred around the Handball Stadium. Of the 41 cases, 40 are still under investigation, excluding one assault case that was closed due to the victim not wanting to pursue charges.

By type, assault cases were the most common, with 21 cases. Other cases under investigation include forcing bag inspections on members of the national junior handball team, obstruction of business by blocking access for Korea Sports Association officials, and special confinement for surrounding and assaulting a reporter.

On June 16, the police identified a woman in her 30s, Ms. A, who draped herself in an American flag and blocked an entrance at the Jamsil ballot counting center blockade protest, and have notified her to appear for questioning.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.